back to article NASA narrows Artemis III landing target list to nine

NASA has released an updated list of nine potential landing spots near the lunar south pole for Artemis III – the mission that will hopefully see the first humans set foot on the Moon in over 50 years. A return to the Luna has been an ambition for decades, and the Artemis program was named in 2019 before a 2022 decision to …

  1. frankvw Bronze badge
    Facepalm

    Don't hold your breath...

    "Artemis III – the mission that will hopefully see the first humans set foot on the Moon in over 50 years"

    At this rate at least...

  2. Ian Johnston Silver badge

    A return to the Luna has been an ambition for decades

    I think the scifi kiddies prefer "to Luna" whereas normal people use "to the moon". Late edit to be down with the kids?

    1. Roj Blake Silver badge

      But which moon?

      Europa? Enceladus? Titan? Triton? Phobos?

      1. Essuu
        Joke

        The Moon, the definite article one might say...

      2. NapTime ForTruth
        Alien

        ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE USE THEM TOGETHER USE THEM IN PEACE

      3. Fr. Ted Crilly Silver badge

        'All these worlds are your except Europa, attempt no landing there'

        There that told you didn't it.

  3. STOP_FORTH Silver badge
    Joke

    Impossible

    The Flat Mooners told me you can't go to the South Pole because of all the Nazis down there.

    If the Moon is a globe, how come it doesn't spin?

    1. wolfetone Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: Impossible

      You're one of these conspiracy theorists who believe there's an actual moon?

      Ha! Idiot.

    2. Bebu
      Joke

      Re: Impossible

      If the Moon is a disc, how come you don't see the other side of the coin if it doesn't spin?

      Lunar nutation (nodding) means that something like 4/7 of the lunar sphere (lunoid?) is visible from the Earth which leaves the flat mooners with an embarrassing 1/14 of a non existent sphere to explain.

      Clearly all a joke but unfortunately there are a terrifyingly large number of mental defectives for whom this type of nonsense is in deadly earnest.

      1. STOP_FORTH Silver badge
        Alien

        Re: Impossible

        I never said a disc couldn't nutate. It obviously has a lip on it like the edge of a pie dish, but facing away from us.

        It's a sort of flying saucer.

  4. Zolko Silver badge

    Artemis IV

    If I understand well, Artemis III is one – 1 – single mission to the Moon, with Artemis IV and V (and may-be VI) following, all using the spare RS-25 engines from the Space Shuttle program. That means 3 missions to the Moon, may-be 4. Nothing after that (well, Mars with Starship if you want to believe the hype)

    Will they all land on the same lunar spot ?

    What are the lunar plans of the NASA after Artemis VI ? Do they plan a permanent lunar base like the Chinese (and Russians and Indians) are projecting ? This article is short on information

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Thumb Down

      Re: Artemis IV

      Hello ? Do you know what a subject is ?

      Come back when they post an article on Artemis IV.

      1. Zolko Silver badge

        Re: Artemis IV

        yes, the subject is about Artemis landing spot, isn't it ? That's what made me ask the question :

        Artemis IV [...] Will they all land on the same lunar spot ?

        So, will they ? Or is the Artemis III landing-spot different from that of Artemis IV ? All Apollo missions landed on different spots, will Artemis do the same ? Landing always on the same spot means that some sort of Lunar base is being built, but if they land on different places then that means that the US has no long-term objective on the Moon and Artemis is simply an Apollo remake. That's a fundamental difference for the mission, so if you're clueless about Lunar exploration and your opinion is limited to what some youtuber is broadcasting, you can refrain from answering.

    2. Irongut Silver badge

      Re: Artemis IV

      Articles providing the information you are asking for have all been written years ago. By using a search engine, the intelligent reader can find them for themself.

      1. Zolko Silver badge

        Re: Artemis IV

        You mean that the NASA has already published Artemis IV landing sites since years, but is only now thinking about Artemis III landing sites as per this article ?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Slater eh?

    "you ain't my lander!"

    "Yes I AM!!"

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    not happening in 2026

    unless they dump musktwats HLS multiple refueling junk, they ain't going anywhere.

    well they might go boom, musktwat has a history of that

  7. Bebu
    Windows

    Mons Olympus quite nice at that time of year too.

    Perhaps a greater likelihood of my skiing on the slopes of Mons Olympus at the Club Méditerranée de Karen spatiale and in my designer Prada extravehicular mobility unit (space suit.)

    Contemporary US politics cast a rather dark shadow over any American manned space exploration unless the likes of Bezos and Musk were prepared to take up the baton which is impossibly unlikely as apart from Space Karen's Martian (wet) dreams there is no obvious short term payoff for them.

    Anyway there is never any snow on Mons Olympus. :)

  8. MachDiamond Silver badge

    No precursor?

    There's still a whole lot of tests to be done on a new mission architecture that the first uncrewed missions should start with an easier target. The Apollo mission sites were chosen to be both interesting and the most accessible. The same is how sites are chosen for Mars missions. An ambitious mission that fails will put back the program for ages.

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